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McColl retires as assistant district attorney

On his plaque, it reads “a true gentleman.”
And E. Paul Jones, district attorney of the Fifth Judicial Circuit, said retiring Col.William D. McColl fit the bill. McColl is retiring after working as a part-time district attorney since 1997.

“I had told him and everyone I know, Bill is probably the only true gentleman in every respect of the word that I have ever known,” Jones said.

Jones called him “one of the greatest emlpoyees this office has ever had.”

“In the whole time he has been with me, I have never had a complaint about him either from defendants, other lawyers, judges or anybody,” Jones said. “I say it jokingly, but I wish I could grow up to be just like him.”

McColl was born in 1938, and joined the U.S. Air Force in 1960. McColl served in Vietnam and retired as a colonel. His first learned of Jones Law School when he was nearing retirement and stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base.

“I had a son that was getting out of the air force and going to law school, and I wanted him to be ahead of me,” McColl said.

He waited and by 1997, he had completed his legal education and passed the bar.

McColl said he got interested in law during his career, where his job duties involved overseeing Judge Advocate General (JAG) personnel.

“I kept interacting with the JAG office and I just got interested in it,” McColl said.

D.A. Ray Clark gave McColl his first job with the Fifth Judicial Circuit.

“I worked full-time for about a year and a half, and I realized I wasn’t enjoying retirement that much,” he said with a laugh.

McColl dropped down to part-time to spend more time with his granddaughter and took a break from 2001-2006. He said his retirement now will be in order to spend more time with his family, but his colleagues will be sorely missed.

“The best part of the job has been the people that I worked for and with,” McColl said.